Is it just me, or do y’all get overwhelmed with the journey?
You know what I’m talking about… the journey from where you are now, to where you’re trying to be. The path that leads from the now to the ‘one day when;’ The road that starts today and winds up at your goal. That journey. Do you ever think it’s April, which means it’s almost summer, which means Fall is around the corner and it’s basically Christmas? Because that’s so me. I get so tied up, sometimes, in the goals that I’m hurtling myself towards and visualizing everyday, that I forget to look where I’m going! Is anyone else straining so hard to see into the distance that you start tripping over your feet?
Please somebody tell me it’s not just me!
Last night I finished a wonderful bible study called ‘The Quest’ by Beth Moore and it’s ALL about asking questions and working towards true intimacy with God. What I loved about it was the premise of questioning. First of all, it inspired me so very much that you’re going to start to see some big changes in this blog, me as a writer, and the direction I’m going to head with y’all as Readers (so be super excited about that), but it also reminded me that in order to grow truly intimate with anyone… you’ve got to be willing to ask the questions that are on your heart. Hard questions. Sometimes those questions are to your spouse, or your friends. Sometimes those questions are to God.
But sometimes those questions are just to yourself… sometimes reflection is the very best gift you can give yourself in a search for perspective.
I had to ask myself today… what on God’s green earth are you looking out there for? You know what lies out there. It’s the here and now that you’re not sure about. It’s the steps today that you should be focused on, wondering about, trying to sort out.
Life is about having that telescope vision of what you’re working towards and what God has called you to… but without losing that microscope focus of the only thing you know for sure He’s promised you… right now.
Beth reminded me of Psalm 119: 105: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet. And a light unto my path.’ This is one of the first verses the kids (and I by default) memorized this year in our first year of homeschool. I wondered, at the time, why it was so valuable as I can think of a dozen other verses that pack much more of a punch. Why was this one of the first verses our curriculum would have us memorize? As soon as Beth taught on it, I recognized what a power tool it is…
Have you ever gone camping? I swear, it never fails that as soon as you’re all wrapped up snug and warm in your sleeping bag in that tent, you realize that you’ve got a nagging, unavoidable desire to pee. You’re not going to be able to ignore it. You’re going to have to get up. So you grab that flashlight and you start by flashing it way out in front of you so that you can see the bathroom and know which direction to head, right? And although that light is helpful, the further out you shine that light, the harder it is to actually see what’s in front of you.
But if you point that sucker at the ground right in front of your feet, you surely won’t trip. That flashlight lights up your path perfectly, doesn’t it?
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet…
Today I surrendered to the steps in front of me. I made a list and I tackled the things that I could do today. I know where I’m headed, I see that in my mind’s eye, but I can’t afford to keep tripping over myself while I’m straining in the darkness to see which way to head. And I’ll tell you what… the whole path seemed a lot more clear to me today. The journey didn’t seem so daunting and overwhelming. As a matter of fact, it felt down right achievable. So I don’t know about you, but I’m going to make a conscious effort this week, and into the weeks to come, to stay focused on today… THIS step… and although I know sometimes the single steps seem to run together into what feels like a vigorous sprint, at least I know I’ll enjoy the process a lot more if I can manage to avoid feeling so out of breath. Can I get an amen?
Will you join me? Will you shine that light right on the path in front of you? Don’t look too far ahead, you know what’s out there. You’re the one who punched it into the GPS! Just keep your eyes locked on what you can do now… this ONE step… and I’m willing to bet we’ll all see things in a new light.